Gai lay before him, lifeless.
Obito—or at least what remained of his dark energy—had found the strength to appear one last time and strike Gai. After uttering his final words, the dark smoke dissolved into nothingness. Kakashi hoped he would never see him again.
The vampire had never felt such visceral hatred toward anyone. That cursed spirit had struck Gai because he knew that killing him was the best way to make him suffer. But… it couldn’t end like this! Obito couldn’t keep spreading pain.
A thought brushed his mind: the only rational choice. Or perhaps the most irrational one.
A bite. One instant. There was still time. He could still save him.
He inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to focus. The air came out in broken gasps as his chest trembled uncontrollably. He realized he was sobbing without restraint.
For a moment, his world shrank to that suspended instant: life or death? Light or darkness? Egoism? Destiny?
And finally, he found his answer.
Hoping he wouldn’t regret it later, Kakashi acted.
“Sorry, but it’s the only way. I have to save you!”
The vampire bared his fangs, cold and sharp.
With a decisive motion, he sank them into the soft skin of Gai’s neck, just below his right ear.
A shiver ran through him: a wave of electric energy coursed through Gai’s body, sliding through his veins.
Kakashi pulled back, eyeing the rivulets of blood already beginning to trickle from the grooves left by his bite. His crimson eyes glinted with greed. Unable to restrain himself, he drew in the scent of blood, then let his tongue follow the trail down Gai’s skin—slow, deliberate, almost tender.
For a heartbeat, there was nothing but the taste of life—wild and stubborn. A flavor that filled his mouth like a flame of vitality bursting with light. Warm, vibrant, pulsating energy, like the rays of the summer sun.
And in that instant, Kakashi felt alive as he hadn’t in a very long time.
For a moment, he had the insane impression that he had always known that taste.
As if he had already savored that life—or had dreamed it.
Then he pulled back, coming to himself, shaking his head, and resting his forehead against the man who still lay crumpled in his arms, motionless.
“Damn…” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I wasn't supposed to… not without you agreeing to it. I hope you can forgive me.”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Gai lay before him, lifeless.
Obito—or at least what remained of his dark energy—had found the strength to appear one last time and strike Gai. After uttering his final words, the dark smoke dissolved into nothingness. Kakashi hoped he would never see him again.
The vampire had never felt such visceral hatred toward anyone. That cursed spirit had struck Gai because he knew that killing him was the best way to make him suffer. But… it couldn’t end like this! Obito couldn’t keep spreading pain.
A thought brushed his mind: the only rational choice. Or perhaps the most irrational one.
A bite. One instant. There was still time. He could still save him.
He inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to focus. The air came out in broken gasps as his chest trembled uncontrollably. He realized he was sobbing without restraint.
For a moment, his world shrank to that suspended instant: life or death? Light or darkness? Egoism? Destiny?
And finally, he found his answer.
Hoping he wouldn’t regret it later, Kakashi acted.
“Sorry, but it’s the only way. I have to save you!”
The vampire bared his fangs, cold and sharp.
With a decisive motion, he sank them into the soft skin of Gai’s neck, just below his right ear.
A shiver ran through him: a wave of electric energy coursed through Gai’s body, sliding through his veins.
Kakashi pulled back, eyeing the rivulets of blood already beginning to trickle from the grooves left by his bite. His crimson eyes glinted with greed. Unable to restrain himself, he drew in the scent of blood, then let his tongue follow the trail down Gai’s skin—slow, deliberate, almost tender.
For a heartbeat, there was nothing but the taste of life—wild and stubborn. A flavor that filled his mouth like a flame of vitality bursting with light. Warm, vibrant, pulsating energy, like the rays of the summer sun.
And in that instant, Kakashi felt alive as he hadn’t in a very long time.
For a moment, he had the insane impression that he had always known that taste.
As if he had already savored that life—or had dreamed it.
Then he pulled back, coming to himself, shaking his head, and resting his forehead against the man who still lay crumpled in his arms, motionless.
“Damn…” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I wasn't supposed to… not without you agreeing to it. I hope you can forgive me.”
Supporting him with one arm, Kakashi removed the golden mask that still framed Gai’s closed eyes, letting it fall to the floor.
Frozen tears traced silver rivulets down Gai’s pale, moonlit cheeks. With his fingertips, Kakashi brushed his face, following the line of his cheekbones and moving aside the black strands covering his forehead. Beneath the now-cold skin, the heart had stopped. Forever.
